WOW and we're out

A teenager won a science fair by discovering a bacteria that eats plastic - at least that's my summary of the article. Go check it out! The kid sounds really smart for more reasons than one. For those of you that know me, you know I was really great at science. Of the 2 courses I almost failed in college, Bio was one of them. But hey, I'm glad smart young people are working on solving the problems that us not so smart, not so young people have been contributing to for a while.
On another note, we have all been getting over colds and we are almost out of tissues. We have 5 hankies (we can only find 4 though) and have been using them pretty regularly. They're not that soft. Actually I should say that 3 are bandanas, so that's probably why. I am thinking of buying some new ones b/c I only found 1 at a thrift store - it was really clean! It seems I won't find many more any time soon...Last time Moses had a cold I tried to get him to use one but he refused. This time he didn't bat an eye. I guess it helped that we all use them! So that's a new change. Promise you won't be too grossed out if you see us w/a hanky!
**EDIT - I just realized that I wrote "you know I was really great at science" and then proceeded to talk about almost failing Bio! So in case you didn't figure it out, it should say "you know I was NOT really great at science"!

Under the cover of darkness

I love my hot hubby! He just helped me cover a bunch of plants w/sheets. I know it might be too late, but we hope it will help anyway. So there. I'm tired now and going to bed. No more news. I am planning to dream of summer.

You gotta be kidding me.

There's a frost advisory tonight. SIGH. I just planted pepper plants. Did anyone else plant this weekend? How are your plants doing? Yes I am hung up on the weather lately. Sorry. Give me something else to talk about! Suggestions are always welcome...

Welcome to the Wacky Weather report

YESTERDAY: 85* HOT, sweaty, nice cool breeze. "Where are the shorts?"
TODAY: 45* COLD, frigid!!, wind is whipping. "Where is my winter hat?"
TOMORROW: just wear everything and take it off in layers if it gets warm. Make no plans b/c whatever you think the weather will be like, it will be different. Trust no one. The best weather indicator is spending 20 minutes outside in various locations and seeing for yourself!

Chicago trip pictures

As I said before, we went to Chicago with the students from Malawi. I took lots of pictures! I put them into a slideshow, so let's see if this works...

2 seater

We tested out the tandem bike! More pics on the other blog...for me it is easier to ride b/c Dave pedals so much faster and stronger than I do! I feel like I can barely keep up just turning the pedals. It only has 7 gears compared to the 21 on my bike, so that took a little getting used to. It takes a lot of communication! I am not of fan of being in the front, but I'm finally getting used to it. Sometimes I forget to tell Dave that I'm braking. He doesn't like that. But I'm working on it! It's nice to ride together sometimes! Hope you all have an enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

Chicago

Yesterday we went w/a group from church to Chicago. The purpose of the trip was to take some students from Malawi shopping...but not like you'd think! They wanted to buy luggage a small appliances that would work with their outlets and had heard of a neighborhood on the NE side. Turns out, it was an Indo-Pak neighborhood. So, yeah, we were in the minority!! That's not bad, just different. One of the first grocery stores we went into had lots of bulk spices, beans, rice, etc and I couldn't help thinking that I would buy from a store like that if it was closer! What my mouth said was, "We need more stores like this in America!" Does that give you any indication of how different it was from where I live? It was fun though and the most hysterical part was trying to cram 13 people and 18 suitcases and various bags into a 15 passenger van for the ride home!!! I have some pictures but I will post them later...On the way home Dave kept saying, "Look out the back and you can see the Sears tower..." We just laughed b/c the only window we could see out was the front!! After the students shopped we took them to Millenium Park and checked out the fountain. Then we walked to Buckingham Fountain. By that time everyone was ready to go home. All in all a good day...the best part was seeing their faces as we came up out of the parking garage. They couldn't believe the tall buildings! We forget, you know? I mean to us they're just buildings. We take things like that for granted sometimes. It's good to be reminded!

Wonderwoman Complex

She bikes (even when she falls off!), she mows, she plays, she aches!!! So I'm suffering from Wonderwoman Complex. Do you ever have those days when you are on a roll? (No pun intended!) I tried to do it all Monday...after biking Dave to work, I tried to finish the lawn w/the push mower. I asked Mo to take my picture and he was more than happy to do so! Um, buddy? You forgot to get my feet and the mower! Try again...


HAHA! Now you missed my head! Back up and see if you can get me all in there...look in the window and see if you can see my head and my feet, okay?

YOU DID IT!!! (I didn't dare move, hence the Barbie pose!)

We don't always use the push mower, but since I like mowing, I try to help out and use it as much as I can. It does take muscles, which I don't really have. So I would say for someone like me it works best on the flat parts! We've had this mower for a few years (4?) and I suppose at some point the blades should be sharpened. It was $10 at a garage sale and I have no complaints! Other than the dandelions in the lawn...that's another story!
Yesterday I had an awesome time shopping w/my cousins, Liz and Abby. They both were talking to me about their Live Journal blogs - want a link? Leave a comment! It was practically a kid free day! I love my son, but wow it was hard not to talk about kid stuff all day. I apparently need to do more stuff w/adults. Anyway, I had horchata, a few sips of margarita, tea and more tea so I am fully hydrated! I felt really relaxed all day and it was good to laugh! Today? I ache. My bruises on my knees are ripe. Big. Ow. I thought of getting back on the bike today, but I think we'll walk!

Movies anyone?

This caught my eye - Netflix for the Environmentally Conscious. You get to keep the movies! As a teacher, I thought some of them might be good to show students. Check it out...

FINALLY FRIDAY

Today was a lot of fun! A bunch of us carpooled to a free zoo about 30 miles away. I had a friend's 7 year old and Moses. There was 2 other families, 3 moms and 4 daughters, 1 dad and his daughter, and 1 mom w/2 kids brought a friend. Altogether there were 26 of us!! It was awesome to see everyone helping watch out for each other's kids. We are so blessed to have such great, like-minded friends who we consider brothers and sisters in Christ! At lunch the big kids played and barely ate a thing while the temps climbed to almost 70*! We were all sweaty...Water didn't last very long on the ride home. Mostly the kids were good but I could tell they were getting tired out by the end. It was a relatively quiet ride home =) I should really be inside doing housework right now, but it's way too nice out here. You know it's summer when you can hear the motorcycles rumbling and the birds chirping! This is one of the first weekends in a while when we won't be going out of town. It will still be busy but I hope to be outside for a bunch of it. I have some pepper plants and cilantro seed that needs to go into the garden. I'm not sure what else I'll put in...we'll see. Hope you are all kicking off your weekend w/some sunshine!

Mo's second post

I like Pastor Travis. He came to our house. He sings "I'm Saved". He has a microphone. Sometimes he plays piano. Yeah. I like Travis. Travis is cool.
(Note from Mom: This is my son's hero! He's the music pastor at our church. Moses will probably grow up to be a music pastor b/c of him. He writes music and leads worship at our church. He is famous! We are really proud of him and what God has been able to accomplish through him. We could not have picked a better role model for our son. I love this picture b/c in the middle of our cuatro de mayo party, he was nice enough to read a book to Mo. Mo may not remember that, but I think Pastor Travis handles his idol status well. There's a nice balance between being normal and being cool!)

Grow, Ride, Play, Work

I have so many things I want to post about I don't know where to begin...
We planted blueberries and blackberries. By we, I mean all of us! Mo loved getting in the dirt. For a kid who can't possibly have food touching his fingers when he eats, he sure didn't mind the mud and worms and stuff =) Glad to see my boy likes it anyway! As usual, my husband complained about doing 'my' work, but seriously, I'm just not strong enough to break the ground! So he made sure to take a break when we were done...
We've been riding bikes a bunch lately - check out the other blog! We've gotten out the remote control car, we've gone and fed the goats, we've been hiking and visiting a few nearby parks and we've gotten a lot done around the house. Don't ask me how...it seems like the more time I spend outside the more I do inside. I guess I'm motivated to use the time well and I'm amazing myself.
I also want to write and tell you about a new site I found...ActLoveWalk. I've been enjoying it b/c it seems to combine a bunch of stuff I am interested in from a Christian's perspective. Sometimes it's so hard to fit different parts of who I am together, to define why I do what I do. Anyway, go check it out. Let me know what you think!
Hope you're all enjoying spring!

A sad one, sorry!

It's Mother's Day and I am having a tough day. First of all, it was Mother's Day last year that my father-in-law passed away. Also, a friend from church is at the children's hospital w/her son, who probably will not make it through the day. Even though I know this child is going home to be w/his Heavenly Father, I am struggling w/the fact that he is leaving the only mother he knew on this Earth. I wish I could hug her and hold her...all I can do is pray for comfort. In some way I feel the devil is stealing my joy. The joy of having this son who plays uses random objects as microphones, sings church songs at the top of his lungs and shakes hands w/the men at church, saying, "Glad to see ya. I like your tie!" The joy of having completed a home study for foster care, to think that this was probably God's plan all along. The joy of being around so many awesome mothers, having the best one myself. The joy of a hot warm pizza =) Sorry there are just some greasy foods we haven't given up yet! It's one of those days where I smile through the tears. Mo is right now singing, "I know that I am redeemed..." and "We love you Lord! We bless your name, Father!" How lucky am I? How is it that others aren't so lucky? I'm sorry, this is taking forever to write b/c I keep having to stop and wipe tears or blow my nose. Please pray for the mothers like my friend Elizabeth. I know she is hurting but I hope she can come to a place where she sees this day as one of joy, to know that her job as a mother was done well. She taught her son (and all her children) about the Lord and b/c of that, he can be w/Him eternally. I apologize for such a sad one today. I promise to post pictures soon. I will do it when I am feeling a little more spunky =)

Breathe in, breathe out...repeat!

ACK! The county SW comes in an hour to do our home study! I actually am feeling good. For me it was a good day. I didn't get to do everything I wanted to do, like hang out w/the other families for our Friday date or hit the rummage sales early, but we got a lot done and had another great pine cone fight! Daddy was there this time! We discovered a new pine tree at the end of the block...we were all laughing and I know that this is one of those memories that our kids will tell about our family that makes us so weird. Oh well =) It was fun! It's a really busy weekend so I don't know if I'll be able to post again before Monday. But trust me...we will write something later...

YES we do!

Our neighbor has this huge pine tree that is constantly dropping pine cones. He collects them for his daughter b/c she makes Christmas wreaths w/them. There's always a bucket near their garage, waiting for those that fall. The neighbor on the other side has some pine trees in the front yard that drop really little pine cones. When Mo and I go for walks, we always stop and have mini pine cone fights! He laughs hysterically and it makes any bad day feel better. Well, I came out the back door and caught Mo carrying big pine cones over from the first neighbors' house. I told him that he needed to put those back, the reason they are in the bucket is for his daughter...he dutifully returned them to the bucket and slowly walked back to our yard. I heard him sigh and say, "We need a daughter!"
On another note - if I haven't mentioned it already, we have our home study for the county on Friday. Please pray. I'm sure it will go well, but somebody needs to tell my nervous system that! Thanks!

She'll be biking around the mountain when she comes...

We'll be doing lots of biking this summer and we plan to share our stories! Some time later in the week go on over and check 'em out. There's not much there now, but we'll add to it as we go. It's my personal goal to ride 100 miles before October. I challenge you to do the same!

FYI

Feliz Cinco de Mayo! As a former Spanish teacher, I feel it is my duty to educate you all on the history of the day. No it is not Mexico's Independence Day...please read this. And then go whack a pinata anyway!

No more sandwich bags?

So we are almost out and I have been thinking of how to replace them. I don't want to buy more. We have talked about using wax paper or saving liners from cereal boxes, but that just doesn't seem like they'd be good for multiple uses. Besides, that would mean buying wax paper. So I found these things - Wrap N Mats! (I am not being paid by them to advertise and don't worry, that's not my style.) Anyway - I just stumbled onto this, so I haven't decided if I'm getting any, but I thought I'd pass it on...